Liquid-fuel-control system.



2 sums-slum 1.

G. T. HANGH ETT. LIQUID FUEL- CONTROL SYSTEM. 4 I APPLICATION FILED JUNE10, 1909.

' Patented May 2, 1911.

G. T. HANO'HETT.

LIQUID FUEL CONTROL SYSTEM APPLICATION FILED JUNE-10, 1909.

991,152. v Patented May 2,1911.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

wi/lwm 95c o arana @11 11311 GEORGE TILDEN HANCHETT, 0F HACKENSACK, NEWJERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

LIQUID-FUEL-CONTROL SYSTEM.

Patented May 2, 1911.

Application filedil'une 10, 1908. Serial No. 501,392.

trol Systems, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to improvements in liquid fuel control systems andhas for its object to provide a new and improved means of controllingthe'supply of liquid fuel to carbureters and the like.

The following is a full, clear and complete description of my invention,such as will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which, I

Figure 1 shows a plan view of. the carbureter, and, Fig. 2 shows avertical section of the same on the line m-m Fig. 1. I ig. 3 shows amodification of circuits.

Referring more particularly to the draw ings, l is a mixing chambercontaining a coil pipe 2 for hot water having a plurality of verticalseries or turns-each separated by a vertical wire screen Above the coilsis a plate 4 having perforations 5 for the passsage of the mixedgas andair, which mixture ultimately passes through the port 6 to the cylinder.The port 6 is controlled by a. damper? operated by the lever 8. Belowthe lower Wall 9 of the mixing chamber is a constant level cup 10containing a float 11 pivoted to the body of the carburetor at 12.Connected to this float is a lever arm 13 whiclractuates a rod 14causing it to engage and disengage the upper end of an adjustable screwcontact 15, within a liquid pocket 16, which is connected by orifices 16with the ponstant level cup 10. The liquid pocket 16 is supplied withliquid fuel through the pipe 17 which is controlled by the valve 18,seating on the seat 19, the fuel being suppliedunder pressure from anyconvenient source through the pipe 20. Above the plunger of the valve 18is an elec tromagnct consisting of the winding 21 and the core 22 havinga non-magnetic casing.

21. The winding 21 of thc clcclromagnci has one terminal connected tothe core 3'2 of the magnct so as to bc groundcd and thc olhcr lcrminalthereof is connected with ono v tcrmiual of any suitable source olclccirni current whose other terminal is grounded,

such for instance as the electric battery 23, which supplies the sparkcoil 24.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 2, the winding 21 of the electro-magnetis in series with the counnutator-26. This does not. however, seriouslya'tl'ect the. action of the electro-magnet in carrying out its function.In the arrangement shown, the spark coil 'has one terminal connected tothe spark plug 25 to ignite in the engine cylinder in the ordinarymanner the mixed air and gas supplied theretofromthe carburetor and is.coutrollcd by the"commutator 26. \l'ithin the core of the electromagnetis a spiral spring 27 which bears upon a plunger 28. connected to thevalve 18. there being a space between the upper end of the valve 18 andthe clecl'romagnet so that when the. clectroanagnct is energized, thevalve 18 can bc li't'tcdfrom its valve seat 19. Profcrably the valve 18has an extended magnetic face 29. The spring 27 assists gravity inreturning the valve 18 to its seal.

30 is a spray nozzle within the central chamber of the carburetor havinga controlling needle valve Z-ll. The space outside the nozzleconstitutes a spray chamber. Thc nozzle ?0 is connected with the chamberin by passage 32 so that oil in the passage 32 flows to the spray nozzleand when the fuel in the chamber 1.0 is at its normal height, and whenunder normal pressure, rises to the mouth of the nozzle 30.

33 is an air passage leading to the atmosphere and connected through thecheck valve Isl with the inner chamber of the carburctcr.

$35 is a passage connected with a source of compressed air. 313 is athree-way cock. \l'hcn the cock 36 is turned so as to connect thecom'prcsscd air source with the iuncr carburclcr chamber. the compressedair is supplied through it to the engine cylinder for thc purpostxot'starting thc-cuginc.

37 is a port connected with the utmosphcrc so that when l'hc cock So isturned so as to cut oil' the compressed air. the chamber within thecarburcicr councctcd with the almosphcrc directly through the port iii.The conrlani lcvcl clnunbcr it) is conucclcd with thc intcrnal chamberof tho carburctcr through a ('mhil'it'itll orilicc 3S and to theatmosphcrc through a constrictcd oriiicc 39 and a passagc l0 controlledby a chcck valve 1 11. The spring 27 can be adjusted by tho screw 42which bears upon the upper end of the same. The contact 15 is insulatedfrom the metallic portions of the earbureter by insulation 43. Theelectroniagnet can be controlled in various ways. In the particulararrangement shown the windin 2110f the electromagnet is shunted when theplunger 14: engages the contact 15 so as to be out of circuit, the shuntconsisting of the conductor 44 and contact 15 to which it is connected,plunger 14, and casings of the carburetor and electromagnet and the core22.

4:5 is a manual switch which interrupts the circuit of the battery 23when desired. \Vith the switclr45'Tocated as shown, the valve 18.isclosed whenever the ignition is cut out.

Inthe operation of the apparatus, when the cup 10 is empty or belownormal, gasolene or other liquid fuel enters the constant level cupthrough the valve seat 19, passing the plunger 18 of the control valve.As it enters the carburetor it passes through the pocket 16 and thenceinto the constant level cup 10, and continues to flow until the float 11is raised so as tobring the plunger 14. into engagement with the contact15. This short circuits the winding 21, deenergizing the elcctromagnet.and perinitsthe-valve 18 to close. The level in the cup 10 is maintainedat any desired point by the float 11, thus when the level in the fluidconstant level chamber 10 falls the float 11 falls, lifting the rod 14and breaking engagement with the contact 15. This interrupts the shortcircuit made by the conductor 44 around the electromagnet causing theelectromagnet to become energized and lift the valve 18 so that theliquld flows through the valve seat 19 into the cup 16 and thencethrough the orifices 16 to the chamber 10. \Vhen the chamber 10 hasbecome filled to the desired level, the float 11 rises causing theplunger 14 to engage the contact 15, thus completing the shunt throughthe conductor -14, deenergizing the electromagnet and permitting thevalve 18 to fall so as to close the valve at the valve seat 19, as abovedescribed. The valve is made to novc down by any convenient means suchas the spring 27 above referred to. In this'way the fluid in thechamber10 is maintained in constant level whenever the battery 23 is incircuit, the result being accomplished by the automatic float control ofthe'elcctric circuit through the clectromagnet, without, however,causing any interruption of. the circuit through the battery 23 or the.spark coil. \Vhen the engine is in operation. atmospheric air enters thecarbureter through the check valve 3-.t and passing the nozzle 30 mixeswith the spray therefrom and thence passes to the vaporizing chamber 1,in which the mixing and vaporizing takes place, thence outward throughthe outlet 6. The screens 3-3 prm duce a thorough mixing of the fuel andair and the heat from the hot water pipes 2 which are connected to anyconvenient source, preferably the coolingjacket of the engine,volatilizes the fuel so as to reduce'it to a gaseous state.

-VVhen the engine is started by the compressed air, the compressed 'airis admitted from the port 35 through the three way cock air, does notforce the liquidaway from the mouth of the nozzle and hence the liquidlevels are substantially undisturbed. The compressed-air which isadmitted closes the main air intake by reason of the check valve 34 andcreates a pressure through all parts of the carbureter including thefloat chamber 10[ If while in this condition the compressed air issuddenly turned off at the cook 36, relieving the pressure in the spraychamber,the fluid chamber 10 bleeds slowly by reason of the reducedorifice 38, and the connection of the inner or vaporizing chamber withthe atmosphere through the port 37. The pressure in the fluidchambertherefore for a time at least exceeds the pressure in the vaporizingchamber, which causes the liquid fuel to squirt up through the spraynozzle 30 into the vaporizing chamber-of the carburetor. If compressedair is then again readmitted, it finds abundant fuel in the vaporizingchamber from which to take up its explosive properties. The secondcharge of compressed air, being thus impregnated witha large amout offuel, primes the engine so that its charge will ignite and it willcontinue to run after the compressed air has been cut off. Aftenthecompressed air is cut oil the engine continues to run in the ordinarymanner, drawing in atmospheric air and producing a spray at the nozzle30. In some cases a second application of compressed air may .not benecessary.

It is to be noted that the float in my carbureter does not actuate anyvalves mechanically. It serves merely to make and beneath the liqflidfuel in the cup 16 and sparking.

mally full, but is completed so as to energizeelectro-magnet iseliminated from the spark 'eoil circuit atall tunes and that circuit iscoil 21 of the electro-magnet, its other ter- .the combination of anoutlet, a sourceof is not necessary so long as it is operated Ielectrically in at least one direction.

It is to be noted that the engaging contact surfaces on the plunger 14and contact 15 for controlling the electromagnet are submerged thereforethere is no danger of disastrous Since the spark does-not come incontact with the air, there is no danger of explosion of the fuel or theignition of any gases which are apt to surround the carbureter.

Instead of the circuit arrangements shown. in Fig. 2, I may employ thoseshown in Fig. 3 wherein elements having numerals with exponentscorrespond to elements of Fig. 2 to which similar numerals withoutexponents are applied. In this arrangement the igni; tion battery 23'.is located between the ground and the commutator 26'. The spark coil 24'is connected in circuit between the commutator and another ground, oneterminal of the secondary being connected to the spark plug 25' in theordinary way. Connected to one'terminal of the battery 23 by theconductor'46 is one terminal of the minal being connected to the contact15, with which the plunger 14' engages. The float 11 in this case ispivoted at the other end from which it is pivoted in Fig. 2, namely, at12, so that the engagement between 14 andl5 is made as the float falls.In this arrangement, the circuit of the elec tro-magnetically controlledvalve is entirely independent of the spark coil circuit, and is brokenwhenever the fuel 'chamber is northe electro-n agnetic valve wheneverthe float 11' falls. Switch 45 cuts out the battery 2i With thisarrangement, as with the other arrangement, whenever the battery circuitis interrupted between the battery and the ground, theelectroanagnetvalve is deiinergized, that. is, whenever the ignition is cut off theelectro-magnet valve closes. \Vith the partsso connected, the resistanceof the not'afl'ected by the condition of the fuel chamber or theposition of the floattherein.

'hat I claim is: 1. In a device of the character described,

liquid'fuel supply connected therewith, electromagnetic meanscontrollingthe flow of fuel from said source, a circuit controlling saidelectromagnetic means and controlling contacts in saidcircuit immersedin said liquid fuel.

2'. In a device of the character described, the combination of a floatchamber, a source of liquid fuel supply connected therewith, a valvebetween sa d source. and said chamber, a float in said chamber, contactseoutrolled by said float, electromagnetic means controlled by saidcontacts and actuating said valve, and an outlet connected with saidfloat chamber, said contacts being inimersed in said fuel.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of a floatchamber, a float therein, a valve leading from a source of fuel supply,electro-magnetic means controlling said valve and a shunt around saidelectroemagnetic means controlled by said float and an outlet connectedto said float chamher.

4;. In a device of the character described, the combination of a floatchamber adapted to contain liquid fuel, a float therein, contacts belowthe normal level of the fuel in saidchamber and brought into and out ofengagement by movements of said float, an electro-magnetic supply valvecontrolled by said contacts controlling the level of the fuel in saidchamberand meansoutside of said chamber for adjusting the point ofengagcrelatively movable contacts controlling said electromagneticdevice, means for moving said contacts relatively, and a pocket forliquid fuel located below the body of said fuel chamber and surroundingsaid contacts, and an outlet connected to said fuel chamber.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination of a fuelchamber adapted to contain liquid fuel, a supply passage leadingthereto, a valve seat in said passage. a casing rising from said valveseat to above the level of the fuel in said chamber. a valve within saidcasing, a solenoid for actuating the same, a float within said fuelchamber. and contacts controlled by said float and ,adapted to out saidsolenoid in andout of circuit.

7. Ina device of the character described. the combination of a fuelchamber adapted to contain liquid fuel, a supply passage leadmg thereto,a valve seat in said passage, a casing risiu from said valve seat toabove the level of the fuel within said chamber. a. valve and a solenoidfor actuating the same both within said casing, a float within said fuelchamber. and contacts controlled by said Heat and adapted to cut saidsolenoid in and out of circuit.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination of a fuelchamber adapted to contain liquid fuel. a supply passage. leadingthereto, a valve seat in said passage, a casing rising frmu said valveseat to above the level of the fuel in said chamber. a valve within saidcasing. a solenoid for actuating the same, a float Within said fuelchamber, and contacts actuated by said float and adapted to cut saidsolenoid in and out of circuit, the engaging points of said contactsbeing immersed and below the normal level of the liquid fuel insaidchamber.

9. In a device of the character described, the combination of a fuelchamber, a source of liquid fuel supply therefor, an outlet for saidchamber, a valve between said chamber and said source normally tendingto close, a casing for said valve rising above the level of the fuel insaid chamber, electromagnetic means for opening said valve, and a floatin said chamber controlling said electromagnetic means.

10. Tn-adevice of the character described,

the combination of' a fuel chamber adapted to contain liquid fuel, asupply passage load ing thereto, a valve seat in said passage, :1 20

casing rising from said valve seat to above the level of the fuel insaid chamber a valve and a solenoid for actuating the same, both withinsaid casing, a float in said fuel cham-. ber, contacts actuated by saidfloat and; adapted to out said solenoid in and out of GEORGE TILDENHANCHETT. Witnesses H. B. BRoWNELL, IDA M. HUNzntER.

